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Thank Chan, not Thig

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Just read this...Fatlock is scared to believe in Thigpen. The Thig has 1 int in the last 4 games I believe?...and that int was forced as we were trailing trying to come back...and Fatlock says to thank Chan?....I thank Tyler for his decision making and not throwing 3 picks in a half like our upcoming visiting QB.

Just read this...Fatlock is scared to believe in Thigpen. The Thig has 1 int in the last 4 games I believe?...and that int was forced as we were trailing trying to come back...and Fatlock says to thank Chan?....I thank Tyler for his decision making and not throwing 3 picks in a half like our upcoming visiting QB.

Think about this way. Whitlock has been wrong about every single thing regarding the Chiefs for years now, except for his calls to fire CP. He was wrong about giving LJ the big contract extension. He was wrong about signing Ty Law. He was wrong about Herm. He was wrong about everything.

Two months agao, he wrote that he didn't care if we lose all of our games this year. Two weeks ago, he wrote the Chiefs were on the right path. Last week, he wrote that the Chiefs put the L in Loser.

To distract everyone from the knowledge that (a) Herm Edwards sucks; and (b) Jason Whitlock doesn't know what he's talking about, Whitlock has been writing intentionally incendiary columns like this one. That way, people say, "Can you believe Whitlock doesn't like Thigpen?" instead of "Whitlock's wrong about everything - let's stop reading him - he doesn't know about football."

Just read this...Fatlock is scared to believe in Thigpen. The Thig has 1 int in the last 4 games I believe?...and that int was forced as we were trailing trying to come back...and Fatlock says to thank Chan?....I thank Tyler for his decision making and not throwing 3 picks in a half like our upcoming visiting QB.

I don't think it has so much to do with Whitlock being a bad writer/analyst. It has more to do with what he's trying to do with his stories. Whitlock wants to make fans like us mad about what he says so we'll talk about it.

But do not confuse that with his knowledge of the game. He makes some good points. Chan Gailey does deserve some credit. Point taken. However, you have applaud Thigpen for doing something with this offense. I used to think Brodie could be the Quarterback of the future. But when you look at Brodie and how he lost the starting position last year, nothing stands out more than his turnover to touchdown ratio.

If Thigpen is doing well in this new offense, then keep the offense. Thigpen has been productive and does not turn the ball over as much. Thigpen does not have to be behind every down like other teams. The Chiefs need to find their own way to win. Re-sign Thigpen and save a draft pick instead of wasting it on an unproven talent.

Whitlock's a sensationalist; the journalistic equivalent of a shock jock. His writing isn't particularly good, so he gets his buzz by intentionally upsetting everyone.

At any rate, he's wrong. The offensive production has just as much to do with Thigpen as it does with Gailey. Gailey recognized, like many of us here, that opening up the playbook and utilizing Thiggy's legs could do wonders for the team.. but a more comfortable offense does not a quarterback make.

Thigpen went from having no accuracy whatsoever in his passing game to threading the needle regularly downfield. His decision making has become more sound; he no longer throws the ball into the waiting hands of defenders with the frequency he once did... something that no play call can dictate.

Chan has a chemistry with Thigpen who, in turn, has developed chemistry with Bowe and Bradley. Whitlock apparently can't comprehend that football is a team sport. It's a shame that someone with such little understanding of the game has maintained a job as a sports writer for so long.

The safe bet is to fall in love with the offense, not the quarterback. Credit Chan Gailey more than you do Tyler Thigpen for Kansas Cityís improved offensive production.

Look, I readily admit thereís a 1.5 percent chance that Iím wrong about Tyler Thigpen, and he is, as many of you Chiefs fans believe, the second coming of Rich Gannon. In fact, I hope youíre right and Iím wrong.

Tyler Thigpen as franchise quarterback would be a great story to chronicle. So were Derek Anderson in Cleveland, and Jon Kitna in Cincinnati a few years back, and Scott Mitchell in Miami and Detroit more than a decade ago.

For every Rich Gannon and Kurt Warner and Tony Romo unearthed from some obscure quarterback village, there is just as much foolís gold hiding in the hills.

Some of you are offended that I regard Thigpen as Kansas Cityís backup quarterback of the future. You think my evaluation is an insult. Itís not. Itís high praise for a second-year, late-round draft pick from Coastal Carolina who played running back in high school.

Iím acknowledging that Thigpen belongs in the NFL, something most scouts did not foresee two years ago and most Chiefs fans couldnít fathom in training camp.

Iím not down on Thigpen. Iím high on offensive coordinator Chan Gaileyís midseason adjustment and future of the spread offense in the NFL. Gailey and the college-style attack have turned Thigpen into a viable player.

Given the widespread use of the strategy at the collegiate level, I envision more NFL coordinators incorporating the spread into their game plans. If you havenít noticed, the allegedly broken-down, no-playoffs Division I game is heavily influencing the pro league.

It seems like every week a new NFL team is implementing the ďWildcatĒ system that made Darren McFadden and Felix Jones superstars at Arkansas.
For years the shotgun spread turned Mike Leachís Texas Tech quarterbacks into NCAA passing record-setters.

Now, with the addition of Michael Crabtree and a powerful offensive line, the offense has the Red Raiders in the thick of the national-title race.

The spread is different from the old run-and-shoot offense. It totally abandoned the running game, did not use a tight end, asked receivers and quarterbacks to adjust on the fly and, for the most part, had the quarterback under center.

The run-and-shoot had a short NFL shelf life. Teams that ran it had a difficult time preparing for an opponent with a traditional offense and closing out games by milking the clock with the run.

The one relevant/significant knock on the spread is its ineffectiveness in goal-line and short-yardage situations. But I blame that on college coaches who donít carry fullbacks and discard the shotgun spread when they absolutely must run the football.

OK, back to Thigpen. His passing numbers spiked considerably when Gailey employed the spread a month ago against the New York Jets. Before the spread (BTS), Thigpen completed 38 of 90 passes (42 percent) in four appearances running a traditional offense.

Running the spread, Thigpen has connected on 85 of 140 passes (60 percent).

The system is the principal reason for the dramatic improvement. The spread, with its multiple wideouts and QB 6 yards off the line of scrimmage, makes defenses easier to read. The throws are generally a bit shorter, especially the drags across the middle, the receiver screens.

Texas runs a watered-down, NFL version of the spread. In that offense, Vince Young completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,036 yards, 26 TDs and 10 interceptions during the Longhornsí national-title run. Young is not an accurate passer or much of a field general.

The true spread turned Chase Daniel into a Heisman Trophy candidate and Todd Reesing into an Orange Bowl champion.

Donít be fooled by the system. It has a future in the NFL, but it will need to be operated by a legit, hang-in-the-pocket, big-time talent to produce victories on a consistent basis.

Thigpen has yet to demonstrate heís that guy. Maybe he will over time. Maybe his accuracy, touch and ability to deliver the ball on the move and from the ďphone boothĒ will all improve between now and next season.
Thereís just no reason to plan on it.

Finding a franchise quarterback remains the organizationís highest priority. I disagree with my respected peers who claim a pass rusher is the teamís greatest need.

Weíve had Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith and Jared Allen. I miss watching those guys. But, if my memory is correct, Lenny Dawson won Kansas City its lone Super Bowl.